Window cleaner
by glaf2u
Summary: Sasusaku AU. When Haruno Sakura first met Uchiha Sasuke, she accidentally sprayed window cleaner into his eyes. Who says first-impressions never last?
1. A stinging sensation

**AN: My first Naruto story, I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I own the characters.  
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><p>To a civilian viewing the site from a distance, the site of Haruno Sakura riding her bicycle to school would have been cute. However, to a civilian viewing the site from a close range, the site was quite odd. Sakura's bike was beautiful. It was painted a light shade of blue and it had a white wicker basket at the front which was decorated with pink flowers. Multi-coloured tassels hung from the edges of the handle bars which were flying wildly in the wind from the furious speed Sakura was peddling at. Her bike truly was a beauty... for an eight year old girl, but to the high school senior, it was an ugly scar in an other-wisely rather pleasant morning.<p>

The tall buildings of Konoha High School came into view. Sakura glanced around nervously, to her relief there was only a handful of students, none of whom she recognized.

_Thank God_

That was until the doors of the gymnasium ,which was conveniently located right next to the main entrance of the school, burst open, pouring out the entire senior boys basketball team. Sakura cursed under her breath and began to peddle faster hoping that the group of (in her opinion) dim-witted players would just think she was a blue blur. Unfortunetly, she was immediately spotted and a barrage of wolf whistles came her way.

"Hey Sakura-chan, I love your bike!" cried Inuzuka Kiba whose comment was met with a hearty laugh and high-five from Hyuuga Neji.

"I'll punch the crap out of you Kiba!" Sakura yelled back. She skidded to a halt in front of the bike racks, quickly unclipped her matching light blue helmet, locked her bike and began creating as much distance as she could between herself and the bike.

"Don't tell me you're still riding that... that **thing**" a boisterous blonde haired girl was leaning casually against the doors of the high school.

"I haven't had enough time to buy a new bike after my old one broke pig." Sniped Sakura hurrying towards her first class. Her best friend, Yamanaka Ino trailed behind her laughing.

"I still don't get why you would decide to ride a bike from when you were eight, forehead." Sakura ignored the comment and hurried towards English. Ino laughed lightly, "Bye fhead."

Sakura sent a wave back at her friend. Sighing, she slowed her pace down slightly, after all, it was just English. Kakashi-sensai was usually always late.

Sakura's lips twitched slightly as she thought about her incredibly lazy (and perverted) teacher. Strangely enough, he happened to be one of the best writers, and teachers, the girl had ever known. The secret, he claimed, was in reading as he was always found wandering the campus engrossed in an orange coloured book with the words "Icha Icha Paradise" printed on the front. Sakura's lips twitched again, she highly doubted the book her sensai was so engrossed in actually helped with English.

By the time she stepped into her classroom, her lip itch had developed into a full grown grin.

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><p>"Forehead, why does healthy food taste so bad?" whined Ino as she dumped a multigrain musli bar in the bin.<p>

Sakura laughed, "Because you never eat any."

"Dieting sucks." Ino's head smacked against the table with a loud thunk. She stared out dejectedly onto the sea of student eating in the cafeteria. "Although... I do love the fact that we're sitting on the second level of the cafeteria. It makes me feel powerful looking down on everyone."

The pink haired girl rolled her eyes at her best friend's comment. The loud chatter in the cafeteria suddenly grew silent. Sakura immediately sighed. The abrupt silence meant that **he **was walking into the lunch room. Then as if on cue a dark haired boy strolled into the room. His hair was always perfectly styled into mop of spikes and his pale skin was was almost luminescent. To Sakura, he seemed to glow and draw people towards him as if he was a light and they were idiotic moths. The silence was suddenly broken by an outraged cry.

"Teme!" a fuming golden haired boy stomped into the room, charging towards the dark haired boy like a raging bull. "You promised you'd wait for me."

Sakura let out a small laugh as she watched Uzumaki Naruto stomp towards his best friend. One would expect the world would self implode if the two boys were placed even in the same room together, but somehow the polar opposites managed to become friends.

Ino turned her gaze from the two boys in the middle of a hushed cafeteria to stare at her friend. "I know you like him forehead."

Sakura's eyes whipped to meet the blonde. "Who?"

Ino rolled her eyes exasperatedly, "Uchiha Sasuke you idiot."

"No I don't," Sakura responded a little to quickly which only made Ino stare at her harder. "Perhaps a little bit." A smug smile appeared on the other girl's face.

"You should ask him-" Ino's comment was cut short by a shrill cry.

"Sasuke-kun" A red headed girl emerged from the sea of students. She pushed her glasses up slightly on the bridge of her nose before sauntering up to the bored looking Uchiha. "Ne Sasuke-kun, how would you like to go on a date with me?" She asked cutely, fluttering her eyelashes slightly.

In Sakura's eyes, her skirt was hitched just a little bit higher, her blouse had a little too many buttons undone and her tie was hanging loosely around her neck. Sasuke stared at her nonchalantly. Everyone had stopped eating and was focused on the scene unfolding before them.

"No." The answer was blunt and direct. Karin looked like she had been slapped in the face as her eyes were wide and her mouth was opened slightly. Not even glancing back at her, Uchiha Sasuke walked towards his usual table. Naruto smiled sheepishly and began comforting Karin and 'cleaning up' the mess his best friend had made.

Gradually, the talk returned in the lunch room however it was solely focused on the scene everyone had just witnessed.

"I will admit I think he's good looking," Sakura decided thoughtfully, "but he's so... cold and distant."

Ino nodded in agreement and a silence lapsed between the two girls. Suddenly Sakura's phone began to vibrate against the table with an incoming call. Excusing herself, the pink haired girl quietly walked out of the cafeteria.

"Hello? Haruno Sakura speaking."

"Sakura-chan, it's Tsunade." A woman's voice floated melodically out of the phone.

"Ohayou gozaimasu Tsunade-sama" replied Sakura politely.

"Ohayou Sakura-chan. There's been an opening and I have a new client. Would you be interested?"

Sakura eagerly agreed to Tsunade's offer. She quickly made a mental note of the address and then said a polite thank you. Upon her arrival back to the table, she was met by a questioning stare from Ino.

"That was Tsunade," she began, "turns out I've got a new client." Sakura smiled happily.

"Ne forehead, I don't understand why you don't just use the money your parents left you in their will to pay for college."

Sakura shook her head defiantly. "My parents earned the money themselves and I refuse to use it." Ino just shrugged before picking up a fork and poking at a wilted lettuce leaf in her salad.

"Of all the part time jobs Sakura, why a cleaner? It's such a turn-off." Ino was promptly shut up when the pinkette picked up a crouton from her own salad and threw it straight at her face.

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><p><em>37...38...39...<em>

Sakura stared intently at each house number she was passing by. She was currently pushing her childish bike along the steep path searching for number 41. Suddenly she stopped. There atop a huge hill sat a majestic looking mansion. It was a shade of off white and had an intricately designed iron gate protecting the entrance. Sakura set her bike against the gates and wrapped her hands around the poles that separated the dirty street from the lavish house. Then she noticed a video intercom to the left. However, she also noticed a set of engravings underneath the intercom.

_Uchiha._

The blood ran cold in her veins and all the colour in her face promptly escaped leaving a wide eyed and shocked teenage girl. Sakura angrily hit her palm against the gate and loudly whined at her misfortune.

_Of all the houses in the Konoha region, why did Uchiha Sasuke's house conveniently need a cleaner now? _

Sakura stomped her foot angrily against the cement path and contemplated if she could call Tsunade and tell her she had changed her mind. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her phone and began dialling the number.

"Can I help you?" a voice rang out through the intercom. Sakura jumped slightly and her mobile dropped from her hands. Sheepishly she picked up her phone and turned around to face the owner of the voice. There staring back at her was a confused looking woman with long black hair and a matching eye-colour. She seemed like an average housewife.

_Sasuke Uchiha's mother._

Sakura mentally compared the two and came to the conclusion that they looked very similar, but his mother's expression was far more gentle and kind.

"K-konnichiwa, I'm Haruno Sakura from the cleaning services."

"Oh, of course." the woman smiled brightly. "Come in."

Suddenly the iron gates parted before her and Sakura hesitantly stepped onto the cobblestone driveway that led up to the already opened double doors. The woman she saw on the intercom hurriedly walked towards her and helped haul the embarrassingly childish bike up the stairs that led to the door.

"You can leave your bike there."

Sakura nodded and slipped out of her school shoes. The lady grabbed her arm and eagerly towed her into the house. The pink haired girl stared in awe at the grandeur of the entrance. It reminded her of a fairytale castle with chandeliers and huge winding staircases.

"My name is Mikoto, Sakura-chan." the woman said happily.

"Mikoto-sama, your house is amazing." Sakura felt the words slip out of her mouth, a light blush dusted her cheeks.

Mikoto laughed gently at the young girl's slip up before leading her into the kitchen and showing her where the cleaning products were. Sakura listened intently as she tried to memorize every little detail Mikoto told her.

"I guess for today, all we need cleaning are the windows."

Sakura obediently nodded and reached into the cabinet for the window cleaner, sponges and gloves. Tingles of excitement ran through her body in being inside the Uchiha house. She was getting a rare opportunity that, she was sure, millions of girls would kill for. That was until she saw the almost floor to ceiling windows in the living room. With a great sigh, Sakura reluctantly began the seemingly impossible task.

Mid-way through spraying the glass, she glanced outside to the backyard. The lawn was an unnatural shade of perfect green that you could only find in lawn mower advertisements and it was cut at a perfectly even height. The white fence that erupted from the grass was a barrier around a large pool. The water looked inviting as the pinkette deliriously stared outside, lapping in the luxurious lifestyle that Uchiha Sasuke must enjoy everyday. To say she was jealous would be the understatement of the century. However, as Sakura giddily took in the stunning views of the backyard, she failed to notice a looming presence behind her.

"Who are you?" a deep voice barked out loudly. Sakura yelped at the sudden noise from behind her and wildly spun around before accidentally pulling the trigger of the loaded weapon she was holding. Little droplets of moisture filled the air in front of her, clouding her vision slightly. A pained cry echoed through the living room and it was only then that Haruno Sakura realized that she had just signed her death wish.

She had just sprayed window cleaner into the eyes of Uchiha Sasuke.

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><p><strong>First chapter done! Please read and review :D<strong>


	2. A gift of appreciation

**AN: I would like to thank everybody who read the last chapter and enjoyed it! **

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1  
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><p>With a loud thunk, Haruno Sakura promptly dropped everything she was holding. There, writing in pain before her was <strong>the <strong>Uchiha Sasuke. Her body suddenly became paralysed and her eyes widened enormously as she saw the dark haired boy clutch his right eye. He was shouting something, but Sakura's ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton wool. Then, like a volume switch on a radio, her hearing came crashing back.

"Are you stupid or something?" shouted Sasuke almost doubling over from the stinging pain in his eye.

"Huh?" Sakura felt the blood rush to her cheeks when Sasuke glared at her from his eye that hadn't been sprayed with dangerous chemicals.

"Help me!" Sasuke roared in frustration at the dim-witted looking girl.

Suddenly, Sakura sprang into action. Her hands flustered around her face as she decided whether or not to lead the Uchiha into a bathroom or grab a wash cloth. Her hands alternated between hovering over his torso to pointing in the direction of the kitchen.

"Bathroom or kitchen?" she chanted over and over again, her hands shooting up towards the kitchen and then down towards the increasingly angry teenage boy.

"Hurry up, I'm in pain." yelled Sasuke who was seriously considering stumbling up the stairs, (which he could potentially fall down from) into his own private bathroom and wash his eye himself.

"I'm sorry, I-I'll - I'll - I'll take you to the kitchen." shouted Sakura who began speeding off before realizing that she needed to take Sasuke who was technically the one that was injured.

She whipped her head around the room, scanning for a towel of some sort. Suddenly she spotted a light blue cloth hanging off a hook next to the fridge. Sakura grabbed it and soaked it in water before running back to the, still groaning in pain, Uchiha.

"If I'm blind, I will **sue **you." threatened Sasuke. Sakura jabbed the cloth into his hand and watched as Sasuke wiped his eye furiously. Slowly, he lowered the cloth revealing an extremely red eye. Sasuke blinked furiously before calming down and throwing the towel towards a scared looking Sakura.

"G-gomennasi Sasuke-san. Y-you startled me when you came into the house. I didn't know you were behind me." Sakura bowed deeply, silently praying that she wouldn't be killed by the murderous looking raven haired boy.

"Hn, of all-" he suddenly stopped his angry retort when he saw the unruly pink mop of hair.

_I know that hair. _

Recognition slapped Sasuke hard in the face as he stared at girl in front of him. He knew that hair from a mile away.

"You're that Haruno girl." he stated in a loud voice.

"H-hai Uchiha-san." Sakura had hoped that Sasuke wouldn't recognize her, but it was impossible as she had been in the same primary, secondary and high school as him.

"Hn. Annoying girl." Sasuke stated coldly before disappearing from the kitchen and thundering up the stairs. A loud door slam was then promptly heard.

Sakura flushed bright red as she stood, by herself, in a foreign kitchen. In that moment, Haruno Sakura prayed to every single deity she knew of to spare her from the wrath of Uchiha Sasuke tomorrow at school.

"Why did I have to answer the bloody phone?" she moaned, cursing her existence on the Earth.

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><p>"I'm sure it wasn't <strong>that <strong>bad Forehead." said Yamanaka Ino who stared at her whining best friend.

Sakura dejectedly lifted her head from the comfortable nook in her arms she had created and stared at the blonde. "I sprayed dangerous chemicals into Uchiha Sasuke's eye and then he stared at me like as if he was about to hack me to bits with a machete."

"You tend to exaggerate things." comforted Ino who was contemplating on throwing out the musli bar she was eating like yesterday.

"I didn't exaggerate this Pig." Sakura slammed her head down onto her arms resting on the table. "It. Happened."

Ino let out a deep sigh and then chucked out the digusting musli bar.

"And, what's worse, we lost our high spot today so we have to sit in the... the mosh-pit of the cafeteria." Sakura's groan was muffled slightly.

"Interesting way of describing the lower level of the cafeteria Forehead, but in concerts, mosh-pits are technically considered 'good' and seating is considered 'bad'." corrected Ino.

Sakura then lifted her head and gave her best friend an I'm-going-to-kill-you-if-you-don't-shutup glare. "That doesn't help."

"Sakura, cheer up." Urged Ino, trying to elicit some form of emotion from the depressed pink haired girl. "I'm sure he's forgotten it."

Suddenly a loud cry rang out from the second level of the cafeteria. The deep voice cut through the chatter and silenced every student in the room. Everyone was staring at him, the usually private, quiet and distant Uchiha Sasuke.

"Haruno."

Sakura visibly stiffened when she heard his voice. She had anticipated that the incident from yesterday was still fresh in his mind but she hadn't even begun to fathom the idea of Sasuke talking to her in public, let alone even talking to her about it. Her pink hair was practically visible from miles away and she knew the dark haired boy had already spotted her, but Sakura still hung onto the tiniest hope that she could hide until the storm passes over. Ino nudged her with her elbow.

_No choice_

Reluctantly, Sakura slowly raised her head and stared up at the boy. Sasuke was casually leaning against the railings of the second floor staring down at her. She noticed something blue from behind him but most of it was blocked by two long legs. Sakura mentally cursed herself for admiring him whilst she was stuck in this situation. Unsure of how she should reply, Sakura timidly raised her hand and every set of eyes then whipped to face her.

"I haven't forgotten about yesterday." Quiet whispers erupted amongst the other students as Sakura gulped nervously. "I haven't forgotten that you sprayed window cleaner into my eyes."

As soon as the stoic boy finished his sentence, the whole room burst into laughter. Some people, much to Sakura's annoyance, were even pointing in her direction and slapping their legs madly like a psychopath.

"Be thankful that I've decided not to sue you." Sasuke stated calmly, once again creating a silence amongst everyone. To Sakura's relief, he stood up and turned around and looked as if he was going to leave, but instead he picked up an object behind him. It was the blue bottle of window cleaner she had used yesterday. "Keep this. You obviously need to practice on how not to spray things into other peoples faces." He hurled the cleaner at Sakura. Her eyes widened and she stretched out her arms in front of her face, hoping it wouldn't hit her. The cleaner smacked against her hand, the red trigger slicing against her palm, but somehow, she caught it. Sasuke smirked slightly, turned around and began to walk out of the cafeteria.

Anger bubbled through her veins as she viciously threw the bottle onto the ground. She absolutely loathed him right now.

"Uchiha-san!" she shouted. Her voice travelled through the silent room and the figure above her abruptly stopped walking. "Gomennasi, but like I said yesterday, it was an accident!" Sakura snatched her bag and stormed out of the lunch-room hoping that no one saw the tiny amount of tears pricking around her eyes.

"Hn. Annoying girl." Muttered Uchiha Sasuke.

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><p>Sakura leant her head back against the tiled bathroom wall, she was glad that there was only her in the room. Although she felt her tears threatening to burst from her eyes, she fought it.<p>

_I won't allow myself to cry over something as trivial as this_

The navy coloured door creaked open slowly revealing a blonde haired girl peaking in.

"Sakura?" asked Ino timidly. As soon as the chatter had returned to the room, Ino had run off in search of her best-friend.

"I'm transferring." Declared Sakura, her fist slamming onto the floor. "I'm going to transfer to Suna High across town."

Ino sighed before sitting next to Sakura and engulfing her in a big, reassuring hug. "Don't be silly Sakura, we're almost done with out senior year. Besides, why would you want to leave me?"

Sakura laughed lightly at her friend's joke. "How many people are talking about it? She felt Ino freeze slightly. "That bad huh?"

Ino released her from the hug and scratched her head trying to think of a kind way of describing that the entire school was gossiping about the fight in the cafeteria. She wouldn't be surprised if students from Konoha Middle School knew about it by the end of the day. "Well, it could be better."

Sakura groaned loudly.

"But, don't worry, it'll all blow over by next week." Ino smiled exuberantly. The pink haired girl nodded grimly and slowly pushed herself up. She combed through her hair a couple of times, smoothed out her skirt and put on a wobbly smile before opening the bathroom door.

Unfortunetly, just as Sakura opened the bathroom door, a pair of girls walked past.

"Did you hear was Haruno Sakura did to Sasuke-kun?" asked the short haired girl.

"I know, she was so stupid." scoffed the red headed one who pushed her glasses up slightly.

Sakura sighed deeply.

"I'm transferring, I'm transferring, I'm transferring!" she wailed and promptly collapsed onto the ground, not even caring about the amount of disgusting germs that were on the bathroom floor. She lay on her back and began stomping her legs wildly.

"Forehead!" shouted Ino who then began to slap Sakura's arm in frustration.

"Hey Sakura-chan." A loud recognizable voice entered the bathroom. It was a male and it belonged to Uzumaki Naruto who began to blush at the sight of the two girls fighting on the floor. "Uh, are you guys alright?"

Immediately, the two sprang up and began to re-adjust their slightly dishevelled uniforms. "H-hai, we're find Naruto." reassured Ino.

"Ne, Naruto-kun, why are you in the girl's bathroom?" asked Sakura. Naruto smiled sheepishly and scratched at his highlighter yellow hair.

"I came to see how you are Sakura-chan. I heard about the fight between you and teme."

"Well, I'm doing crap." huffed out Sakura. "Thanks for asking though." She smiled sincerely at the blonde boy's worry.

"Sakura-chan, I'm sure Sasuke-teme didn't mean it. He doesn't usually do these kinds of thing and I really hope you feel better and I hope you'll forgive Sasuke-teme and I hope you-" Naruto rambled on before being cut off by Sakura.

"Naruto. I'll be fine." the boy grinned widely but he still continued to badger Sakura with question about how she was feeling.

Suddenly the door opened and a dark haired girl stepped in. Her eyes bulged out of her sockets when she saw the blonde boy standing inside the girls lavatory.

"Oi, what are you doing in here?" she screamed at Naruto before grabbing his tie and towing him out. "Pervert!"

"N-nani? I would never do anything like that!"

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><p>"Are you going to go?" asked Ino. School had finished and the two girls were talking near the bike racks.<p>

Sakura nodded her head. During an incredibly boring lesson of biology with Kabuto-sensai, Sakura had made a 'pro-con' list on "Whether or now Haruno Sakura should continue working for the Uchiha Household". In the end, the pro's out balanced the negative points. She was strong and wouldn't let a simple fight (although it was quiet nasty) discourage her from her job. However, she had also based this decision on the incredulous look Sasuke Uchiha wouldhave when she shows up at his house, happy, bright and ready for anything.

"I'm going. Afterall, it's good funding for my college money." She flashed Ino a grin before setting off on her embarassment of a bike.

The ride was fairly quiet and when she reached the house, she was invited warmly inside by Mikoto. The two had once again hauled her bike up the stairs of the house.

"Sakura-chan, I heard about what happened yesterday with Sasu-kun and the cleaner." said Mikoto when she greeted the girl at the front doors. Sakura's eyes widened in fear and she didn't even snicker slightly at Sasuke's nickname.

_She's going to fire me_

"Ne, why do you look so nervous Sakura? I think what you did was hilarious." The woman laughed lightly and gave the frozen girl a hug. "He deserved it." She flashed her a wicked grin.

Mikoto-san's kind genetics had obviously, failed to pass onto her son. Sakura exhaled in relief once she was left alone and began walking up the stairs to clean the rooms. As she rummaged through the broom closet next to (what she thought) was a bathroom, the door swung open and revealed a disgruntled Uchiha.

_So I guess it's not a bathroom_

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. "You're back."

"Mhmm," replied Sakura cheerfully, "why wouldn't I be?"

Sasuke glared at the happy looking girl who was acting as if the fight had never occurred. "Hn."

"Now, if you excuse me, I have some rooms to clean." Sakura hands grabbed the old broom lying in the corner before spinning around quickly, her skirt to fly up in a wide arc around her, and headed off to the a closed room across the hall. Suddenly, a vice like grip snatched her arm. Sakura yelped in pain as Sasuke stared down at her menacingly.

"Don't **ever **go in there." his voice slithered out like ice before he released his grip on her arm and almost sprinted back into his own room and slamming the door shut. Sakura shivered slightly and stared at the cream coloured door that obviously hid something important. Glancing down, she saw a red hand print appear on her pale skin.

"Tch," she scoffed, rubbing the mark. "I could sue the crap out of **you **for assault."

Sakura glared at the door before walking down the hall and into a bathroom.

"I should've yelled 'Rape' when he grabbed me..."

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><p><strong>And there's chapter 2! What's the mystery behind the door? Anyway, you know the drill, read and review please! :D<strong>


	3. A few more questions please?

**AN: Just like my last chapter, I would like to thank all those people who read the last chapter and enjoyed it! To all the people that reviewed, your positive encouragement makes me so happy and your constructive points gives me an insight as to how to make my story better! I appreciate all of the reviews I get :D**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1**

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><p>With a feral snarl, Sakura viciously tore apart the piece of paper taped to her locker which had, "Window Cleaner Loser!" written in big, black, bold letters. She could smell the distinct aroma of a sharpie marker in the air, so she knew the insult was fresh. Whoever posted the message, had obviously stuck the piece of paper up first and then written the words. Sakura could tell because the ink had bled through the paper and the letter "L" was now imprinted on her locker... forever. Dejectedly, she banged her head against it lightly.<p>

"If I didn't think this situation was hilarious, I'd be crying for you right now." Sakura inhaled angrily as she heard the annoying voice of Ino enter and degrade her ears.

"Shut. Up." she stated simply.

"Forehead, I'm pretty sure the whole school has forgotten about the fight. I mean it **was **a long time ago."

"It was yesterday." Slowly, Sakura lifted her head and fixed her best friend with a glare. Ino's eyes widened and she coughed loudly to mask her laughter when she saw the depressed teenager's face.

"Excuse me for trying to help." She managed to stutter out as Ino tried to contain her chuckle. Sakura raised one eyebrow in confusion but let the feeling brush past her. She picked up her books from the ground and dragged Ino along to History, the only class they had together. However, whilst en-route to the classroom, every single student paused ever so slightly when the two walked past, and then burst out laughing.

"I hate that... that Uchiha **teme**!" seethed Sakura, her eyes livid. "Now the whole school knows of our 'incident' and they're all laughing at me."

"Blame that on Hebi Karin's* group. They're putting up signs everywhere detailing how you, "almost killed their Sasu-kun." The blonde put on a high pitched, nasally voice to imitate the red-headed girl.

Suddenly, a flash of pink on the school notice board caught Sakura's eye. It was a striking contrast against the usual black and white announcement papers. The large poster was coloured a deep fuchsia with small pink hearts arranged to form another heart inside it. On the poster, written in a thick, black sharpie was the message, "Beware, window cleaner kills. Sasu-kun almost died."  
>The overall design of the poster had absolutely nothing to do with the actual message, but it provided a huge clue as to who made it.<p>

Ino giggled nervously. "H-how did that get up there?"

Beside her, the pink haired girl was fuming. Her blood boiled underneath her skin and her hands had formed tight fists ready to punch the nearest object. If it was possible, flames from her anger would be appearing around her. Sakura gritted her teeth in frustration before forcing her eyes to stop staring at the poster. Taking three deep breaths, she attempted (and almost failed) to contain her rage. Flashing a fake smile, she snatched Ino and towed her away to the classroom.

"I'm calm, I'm calm." Chanted Sakura as she rushed past yet another notice board with a carbon copy of the pink poster pinned on it.

"Forehead... **Forehead**!" Shouted Ino. "You just past our classroom."

With a sigh, Sakura let go of Ino's arm and stopped. Her shoulders were slumped slightly as her ferocious mood had fizzled out.

"Suna High sounds so warm and inviting right now." She muttered quietly. "No-one knows."

Ino huffed in annoyance, "Sakura, you're too over-dramatic for your own good." Suddenly, the blonde's eyes brightened. "Ne, Forehead, I know what will cheer you up."

Sakura raised on eyebrow in disbelief.

"Uchiha Sasuke's face when you showed up at his house yesterday."

Slowly, the edges of the pinkette's lips began to twitch before they parted to reveal a wide grin. Her slumped shoulders began to shake lightly as Sakura began to laugh. "It was kind of like a 'deer caught in headlights' kind of look."

Ino smiled widely at the description. "See, now you're happy again." Sakura nodded in agreement. "Great. By the way, before when everyone was laughing at you... It wasn't because of the window cleaner thing. It's 'cause you have the letter 'L' written on your forehead. Alright, see you in class!" Ino voice sped over the words and she was already running towards the entrance of the classroom halfway through her sentence.

Sakura's eyes widened. She dug her hand into her pocket, grabbed her phone and clicked the camera button. Printed on her forehead, was a feint, but distinct letter 'L'

"Kuso!"

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><p>"Where's your bike Sakura-chan?" asked Uchiha Mikoto curiously. She had just greeted Sakura warmly outside and was waiting to help her lug her adorable bike up the stairs. But today it wasn't there.<p>

Sakura flushed slightly, "I didn't use it today Oba-san."

"Nani? Then how did you manage to get here?" Mikoto's eyebrows furrowed worriedly.

"I took the bus because my bag is really heavy today. It would've be too tiring to bike all the way here." replied Sakura. Mikoto nodded her head thoughtfully.

"Of course, I'm so silly. It's your senior year so you must be having a lot of exams."

"Hai Oba-san. Escpecially now, because it's the last semester of the year."

Mikoto offered to carry the bag which looked like it was about to explode from the amount of books shoved inside. Sakura glanced hesitantly at the fragile looking woman.

_My bag would probably crush her... Although, both my shoulder's **do** feel as if they are about to fall off..._

Slowly, Sakura carefully handed over her backpack which had practically every single subject's ridiculously thick textbook shoved inside. As soon as Sakura removed her grip on the bag, it came plummeting onto the ground with a loud crash, almost dragging the startled woman down with it as well. Hurriedly, Sakura picked up the back and apologized sheepishly.

"S-Sakura-chan, how many books do you have in here?" Mikoto's eyes were wide and her mouth was slightly opened. The younger of the two merely shrugged her shoulders. Suddenly, Mikoto grinned widely and clasped her hands together. "Ne Sakura-chan, how about I give you the day off today so you can study?"

Immediately after the words exited Mikoto's mouth, Sakura began to protest. However, the stubborn woman refused to listen to a single one of the frantic teen's words.

"If you get stuck, you can always ask Sasu-kun. He's too smart for his own good. Always cooped up in his room." Racing inside Mikoto's head were sly thoughts on how the position of her daughter-in-law, was slowly being filled. Sakura thanked the chuckling woman and spread her work over the kitchen table.

Reaching into her bag, Sakura pulled out a ridiculously thick maths text book. The glass dining table rattled slightly when the book was roughly dropped onto it. Then, she pulled out her fifth maths exercise book of the year from her bag and turned onto a clean page. Abruptly a speck of green came into her peripheral vision. Turning her head slightly, Sakura stared out into the backyard, just like she did on the day of the 'incident'. The scenery looked like a beautiful photo from a tourism advertisement which had been meticulously arranged so that nothing looked out of place.

_I wish we had a pool_

As Sakura stared out dreamily on the crystalline waters of the pool, she didn't hear the shuffling of feet walking down the stairs and then into the kitchen... again.

"What are you doing?" a rough voice barked out. Sakura whipped her head towards Uchiha Sasuke. Her eyes widened in anger before she loudly stomped towards him.

"You." She slithered out menacingly, poking him hard in the chest for added effect. "Because of your... hissy fit in the cafeteria the other day, I'm now the **entire **laughing stock of Konoha High."

For the tiniest fraction of a second, Sasuke was tempted to rub at the throbbing spot on his chest, were the (obviously) psychotic creature had poked him. But he quickly remembered that he actually had standards. Quickly compsing himself, Sasuke fixed the girl with a benevolent stare.

"Hn. Annoying."

Sakura sighed deeply at the lack of reaction from the ice cold Uchiha. Then she sat down feeling extremely annoyed and, though she would never admit it, embarrassed. Sasuke then walked towards the fridge and pulled out a water container and poured himself a drink. He quickly downed it, placed the container back inside the fridge and walked off.

"I'm studying." called out Sakura suddenly. The black haired figure stopped mid-step and paused briefly, slightly interested in what the girl had to say. "Your mother let me have the day off today so I could study for my maths test."

She expected Sasuke to walk off without a second glance, but when he turned around to fix her with another one of his stares, she was slightly surprised. Sakura shifted in her seat uncomfortably.

"Just to... you know... answer your question." she finished timidly.

"Hn. Distracted already." Sasuke shook his head slightly and walked over to the curtains of the glass door that provided a view of the perfect backyard. With a dramatic swish, he dragged the expensive looking curtains across the bar. "There." he said simply to an angry looking Sakura.

"Thanks." Sakura screwed her face up to form a sneer. Sasuke's lips twitched to form the beginnings of a smirk before finally leaving to his room. With a loud huff, Sakura returned to her maths textbook.

* * *

><p>In all honesty, Sakura was actually quite proud of herself. She had worked through nearly six pages of equations in her maths textbook, <strong>but<strong>, he had also circled about two pages worth of question she didn't know. However, aside from the missing two pages, she was quite proud of her accomplishment. Chewing on the end of her pen, the pink haired girl contemplated on how she was going to figure them out. Suddenly she remembered Mikoto's words.

_If you get stuck, you can always ask Sasu-kun _

Sakura mentally calculated the chance of actually getting a response from the cold Uchiha. Gathering up a mediocre amount of courage, she carefully made her way out of the kitchen and upstairs. Although she had only been on the second level once, Sakura had memorized the location of his room. It was opposite the locked door which hid away secrets that Sasuke obviously wanted to stay hidden. She raised her trembling hand up and began to swing it downwards onto the door which was then, suddenly flung open. Sakura jumped backwards slightly in shock as she had almost knocked her fist into Sasuke's jaw.

"What?" Sasuke's height was completely dwarfing the flustered looking girl.

"Sasuke-san, your mother told me that if I had any problems with my work, I could ask you." Before Sakura had even said half of her sentence, the dark haired boy had already begun to shake his head.

"No."

Completely forgetting the shyness from before, Sakura stared up defiantly into the charcoal black eyes and stood up at tall as she could. "Sasuke, it's only one question."

There was a long pause. From a spectators point of view, the two teens looked as if they were engaged in a very intense staring competition.

"Hn." Sasuke had admitted defeat. Sakura smiled slightly and handed over her maths exercise book.

Using the wall as a makeshift table, Sasuke took one glance at the question circled in an orange highlighter, before furiously scribbling down the method of the question. Wordlessly, he threw the book back to the curious looking girl. He felt a twinge of surprise ripple through him when the Haruno girl actually managed to catch the book. Suddenly, he heard the unmistakable noise of recognition escape into the air as the girl looked over his work. Taking a last glance at her ridiculously coloured hair, he walked down the hall and into the bathroom.

"Ne, Sasuke-san." He stopped mid-step, cursing the persistence of the pinkette. "One more question?"

Sakura flashed him a wide smile and briefly wondered if she should bat her eyelashes slightly. His stare was murderous but, nevertheless, he snatched the book and flipped the page to find another question circled in orange highlighter. Once again, he threw the book back at Sakura who, suprisingly, managed to catch it for the second time. Quickly, he walked into the bathroom and slammed the door before she asked another question.

Sasuke visibly recoiled in shock when he opened the door to find Haruno Sakura still standing there with a hopeful smile on her face. She gently held out her maths book in front of her before flashing her best cutesy smile.

"Sasuke-san, I'm stuck. A few more questions?"

Growling in displeasure, Sasuke snatched the book and flipped onto the next page. His eyes widened by the slightest fraction when he saw the huge amount of orange circles dotting the small page. Angrily, he glared back at the (in his opinion) most annoying creature in the world who was sheepishly scratching her head. He heard her mutter a soft "Please."

"15 minutes." Sasuke gritted his teeth, stomped off into his room and shut the door.

Sakura looked around nervously before slowly moving towards the entrance of his room and rested her back against the wall. Ever so often, she stole a few glances towards the still door. Not a sound was coming out from the room except the faint scratching of pencil on paper. Abruptly, the hinges creaked and her book flew out and landed sprawled out on the timber flooring.

"Don't bother me again." He stuck his head out to glare at the frozen girl before disappearing back into his room. Gingerly, Sakura walked over to her book and flipped through the pages.

Her eyes widened in shock. Not only had Sasuke completed the question on the page, he had also corrected every single other question she wasn't sure off. Smiling brightly, Sakura skipped down the stairs.

_Perhaps the coldest ice can be melted.  
><em>

* * *

><p>On the day of the maths examination, she wasn't biting her nails until there was nothing left, nor was she frantically doing last minute revision. Haruno Sakura simply sat down quietly in her place, smiled brightly at her stressed out looking classmates and waited for the test to begin. As she stared out of the classroom window and into the hallway, she noticed Uchiha Sasuke stroll casually into the top maths class. He didn't look at all stressed over the exam.<p>

Even on the day when the results were due to be posted on the class notice board, she wasn't frantically gripping someone's arm and shaking in fear. After all, what did she need to be afraid of? Sakura had been 'tutored' by the smartest (and coldest) person in the school. Nonetheless, when she saw the 'A' next to her name, she couldn't help but cry out in excitement.

Sakura practically whistled all the way from the bus stop to Sasuke's house in the afternoon and even Mikoto commented on her bright mood. She merely smiled and shrugged her shoulders. As she climbed the stairs to Sasuke's room, the twisted the letter she had written him around her fingers, weaving it in and out. Sakura placed the slightly curling letter at the floor infront of the door and smiled at her handiwork. Loudly, she knocked on the door before running down stairs and back to work.

Sasuke wrenched the door open and was about to angrily yell at the person (most likely Haruno) to go away, but he only noticed a small piece of paper at his feet. It was notebook paper that had obviously been torn out of an exercise book because of the jagged edges. His name was written on the front. Sasuke picked up the letter and began to read it.

_Arigatou gozaimasu Sasuke-san for 'tutoring' me in maths. Without you, I would never have gotten such a good mark._

_Consider us even. I forgive you for publicly humilating me. _

Even though the short message hadn't been signed off at the bottom, he knew who it was from. Then, for the first time in over a year, Uchiha Sasuke's lips curved upwards to form a proper smile before disappearing just as fast as it appeared.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm very sorry for not updating faster, but school has recently started up again which means that I won't be able to update this story on a regular basis :(<strong>

*** I'm not really sure what Karin's actual last name is, so I just named her Hebi.**

**Well, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! **


	4. Zumba

**AN: Yes, I have finally returned! School has finally calmed down and I have enough time to relax, sit down and write. I hope that this chapter makes up for my very long absence. I thought I would publish it now because I'm off on holidays soon so I won't be able to update for a few weeks... Yep, another absence...**

Anyway, I just want to once again thank all those people who read the previous chapter and enjoyed it! Thankyou SO much! :)

* * *

><p>"I'm off to school now sobo." cried Haruno Sakura as she stumbled, yawning into the living room of her house. She smacked her chapped lips a few times and stared with half drooping eyelids at her grandmother.<p>

The elderly lady had her graying hair pulled into a tight bun as she did her morning zumba routine, her eyes intensely glued to the television. Sakura sighed deeply as she recalled the day when her grandmother had come home boasting about her new S.L.A.P club which met every Friday night. At first, Sakura had thought it was a self-defense class, but she eventually found out that the S.L.A.P club stood for: Senior's Living Active Program.

Every two months, the club tried out a new 'Active Program'. Right now, the 'Active Program' was zumba. However, what made the sight even more abnormal was the fact that her grandmother was wearing one inch thick glasses that magnified her eyes so she looked like an owl and a 'deer caught in the headlights' smushed into one.

"Oh, have fun at school Sakura-chan!" replied her sobo who was now gyrating her hips and stomping her feet on the tatami floor to the up beat zumba music. Sakura rolled her eyes.

_My grandparents are crazy_

Just as she was about to walk towards the front door, a voice stopped her.

"Sakura-chan, I sensed your presence. I see you are going off to school." A deep voice called from the corner of the kitchen, startling Sakura.

"H-hai sofu." stuttered Sakura.

Her grandfather, an ex-ninja, looked solemnly at her. His balding grey hair comed over neatly. However, his emotionless mask was broken when he scrunched up his face.  
>"Nani?" He called out loudly.<p>

"I'm off to school sofu." Sakura annunciated each syllable clearly in a loud voice so her grandfather could properly hear her.

Then, the elderly man smiled brightly. "That's good."  
>Then with a smile, her grandfather picked up two knives and began to furiously slice up the fish on the chopping block for his breakfast. His actions were fluid and quick from the years of practice he had endured.<p>

_Yes, my grandparents truly **are **crazy._

Sakura's lips twitched slightly as she readjusted her bag and headed out of the door.

* * *

><p>"Ne Forehead, why did you walk to school today when I could've given you a lift? Your so dumb." Yamanaka Ino slapped the back of her best friend's head and shook her head in disappointment.<p>

"Because **someone**, borrowed my bike over the weekend and "accidentally" left it on the driveway so it eventually got crushed by a car." Sakura wildly waved her hands around, her face turning red from yelling. "And, how could you possibly 'give me a lift' when you don't even know how to drive?"

"Well my nii-san, Deidara could've given you a lift." Ino concluded, looking smug as she knew she had won the argument. Sighing, Sakura merely shrugged.

The bell for the first session rang and the two friends bid farewell before Sakura hurried off to Chemistry.

"Right!" bellowed the normally calm Shizune-sensai, causing a deafening silence to spread throughout the class. "I have had **enough **of your incessant chatter, especially you Uzumaki (a loud whine promptly rang out from the back corner of the room). I have made a seating plan and you will stick with it for the **rest **of the remaining year. Understand?"

The whole class nodded nervously as Shizune-sensai flicked out a piece of paper from her coat pocket and began calling out names. Sakura gulped nervously, praying for a good lab partner. Behind her, she could hear Hebi Karin chanting 'Sasuke-kun' over and over again.

"Uchiha, Haruno, on the left." Shizune barked out her order. The pink haired girl's eyes widened in shock and she was about to complain and throw a tantrum like a child , when a high pitched scream cut her off.

"Her?" Karin stared incredulously at Sakura. "Sensai, Sasuke-kun deserves a better lab partner than... than, a girl who almost killed him!"

Shizune-sensai closed her eyes in frustration. It was at that moment that she decided she would be taking an extremely long leave of absence very soon. She took a deep breath in before calmly telling Karin, "No."

The crimson haired girl pushed up her glasses and stomped her foot. "Why not? Sasuke-kun should be partners with me." She whined.

Shizune then decided that perhaps her extremely long leave of absence would be starting today.

"Hebi Karin, would you like to go see the principal?" Threatened the brown haired sensai. Karin's expression turned sour but, nevertheless, she shook her head. Shizune then sent Sakura a threatening, if-you-dare-argue-I-will-kill-you, look. Reluctantly, Sakura walked over to her new table which the brooding Uchiha had already sat down at. Then, the sensai continued to pair off her class one by one.

Shizune smiled as she eyed her handiwork. The class was now impeccably quiet and no one, not even Uzumaki Naruto, was talking to their new partner. She clapped her hands happily and began to explain the new experiment that her class had to conduct.

"As seniors," she began, handing out the criteria sheet to the task, "you must understand that this mark will count greatly towards your reports that will be sent out to any University you apply to. I expect hard work, no slacking off."

As soon as Shizune finished talking, the entire class rushed off towards the cupboard that contained all the science apparatus at the back of the room. All except Sakura who stared curiously at her unmoving partner.

"Ne, Sasuke-san," she began timidly, "shouldn't we get started?"

"Hn."

Sakura gritted her teeth in frustration and her hands began to ball into fists from the short response. However, she then remembered her promise to herself after she had placed the note outside of Sasuke's bedroom the other day.

_I'm going to try and be more patient with him. _She had thought.

The young girl took a few deep breathes.

"It's foolish to begin when you haven't even bothered to read the criteria sheet." Sasuke raised his head and gave the wide eyed girl in front of him a neutral stare. "I'm done. Go get the coats." He didn't bother to wait for her reaction before he swiveled his body around and headed towards the cupboard, a procedure already forming in his head.

Sakura blushed slightly at her mistake, but brushed it off. Obediently, she went to the front of the room where the lab coats and glasses were kept and grabbed two of each.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura watched as Sasuke slowly put on the lab coat over his school blazer. The white of the coat creating a stark contrast between his dark hair and his pale fingers almost blending into the coat as he did up the buttons.

_Sasuke-san could look good in anything._

* * *

><p>In all honesty, Uchiha Sasuke was in fact, an excellent lab partner. He always knew what step was next or what acids to mix together, while Sakura was scratching her head, still trying to figure out what step he was up to. However, whilst he was off to side pouring acids to make the new mixture they had to test, Sakura was stuck doing the mundane parts of the experiment such as; recording the findings and holding the mixture over the Bunsen Burner waiting for it to react. But, she didn't mind.<p>

Science had always been the pink haired girl's weakness at school, whereas English was her strong point. Perhaps with Sasuke's help she could bring her average mark up to at least a better than average mark.

_But if he gets sick and doesn't show up... I'll be so screwed..._

"Haruno." Sasuke peered up at the day dreaming girl from his lab glasses. Her arm was drooping slightly and the sleeve of her lab coat was tickling the edges of the flame. "Focus."

Sakura's eyes widened as she realized how close she was to catching on fire. After saying a grateful 'Thank you' in response, Sakura lifted her arm up.

She puffed her cheeks up with air and breathed it out in boredom. Her arm was getting sore from holding the test tube above the flame and the reflection of the flame against the window was slowly beginning to distract her. The orange flame reflection danced and flickered around. Its movements were graceful and fluid, truly a beautiful sight. Suddenly, a warm, tingling sensation brushed across her wrist and the reflection in the window changed. Sakura knitted her brows together.

_Why is the flame in the window getting bigger?_

Suddenly a loud cry pierced through the classroom.

"Sakura-chan, y-you're on fire!" yelled Naruto who was at the table behind her. Sakura's eyes widened as she realized that her lab coat ,was indeed, on fire. She let out a high pitched scream and quickly dropped the wooden tongs and the test tube she was holding.

The whole class was staring at her in shock as she madly flailed her arm around her, somehow hoping that the fire would be extinguished by acting like an idiot. However, her 'dance' only made the flame travel higher up her lab coat. Sakura frantically began to bang her sleeve against the lower part of her lab coat in the hopes to muff the fire out, but then the bottom part of the coat suddenly erupted in flames.

Suddenly, a sharp force hit her face and her world went black.

_Am I dead? Please don't let me be dead. I don't want to be remembered as the girl who died because her lab coat caught on fire in school._

Slowly, a white mist surrounded her and something wet slid down the side of her face. Sakura coughed slightly and waved the damp fog away from her face.

_Is this Heaven?_

However, her startling revelation was cut short when she saw a boy with raven black hair standing in front of her holding the sink hose. Sakura's drenched hair stuck to her face as she stood inside a puddle of cold, tap water.

"Idiot."

* * *

><p>"Arigatou gozaimasu Sasuke-san, for saving me." Sakura called out loudly hoping that Sasuke could hear her from outside the girl's bathroom. He had refused to go into the room because he felt that it was "indecent".<p>

Sakura smoothed down her semi-dry hair (which was because she had stuck her head underneath the hand dryer) and adjusted her school uniform. With a sigh, she inspected her soaked jumper which had a black stain at the the bottom of the left sleeve. Sakura reluctantly pushed open the door knowing that she had already spent too much time in the bathroom to 'freshen up', than Shizune-sensai had allowed her.

As if he had sensed her decision to go back to class, Sasuke was already three paces in front of her, walking back to the science lab. Sakura folded her arms across her chest and shivered slightly as the air conditioned building was now quite cold without her burnt jumper on.

Suddenly, a huge maroon object flew into her head. Sakura instinctively caught it and upon inspection, she realized that it was Sasuke's blazer.

"Wear it." He looked back at Sakura and gave her another neutral stare before turning around and continued walking again.

Sakura stared dumbstruck at the retreating form of the quiet Uchiha. She was about to protest that he would be cold as well, before she realized that he had been wearing a jumper under the blazer. Gingerly, she put it on. Although it was far too big for her, it was warm and comforting. Sakura smiled widely.

_He's more nicer than he lets on._

"Haruno." Sasuke called, his back facing Sakura. "I expect my blazer back by the end of the lesson. I didn't lend it to you for the whole day."

_Or not..._

"Nani?" shouted Sakura. "You're- you're so infruriating. Stop walking Uchiha-teme, I'm talking!"

Sasuke smiled slightly as he heard the rants coming from the annoying girl behind him.

* * *

><p>"Sasu-chan, you're home." cried Mikoto, smiling widely. "When is Sakura-chan coming?"<p>

"Kaa-san, Haruno isn't coming today. She caught on fire at school today."

"Nani?"

* * *

><p><strong>And there's chapter 4!<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed that little Sasuke and his mum moment at the bottom :)**

**Anyways, please read and review! I shall see you all after my holiday!**


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